The Maharashtra government declared on Saturday that all students in Classes I to VIII will not give any exams and will be promoted to the next standard.

Varsha Gaikwad, the Minister of School Education, made the announcement on Twitter. “In light of the current situation caused by COVID-19, all state board students from Class 1st to Class 8th across Maharashtra state will be elevated to the next class without any exams,” Gaikwad said.

However, the minister added that a decision on holding exams for students in Class IX and Class XI is pending and will be made shortly.

Meanwhile, the examinations for classes 10th and 12th will take place as scheduled. Since the tests are being taken in offline format, the board has granted several exemptions. The test would follow a simplified syllabus.

Furthermore, students affected by COVID-19 will be eligible to sit for special exams in June, according to the council.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak in the state, local authorities ordered the closure of educational establishments. The coronavirus pandemic has had a serious effect on Maharashtra. Since the second week of February, the number of cases in the state has been rising. Several school districts have implemented tight lockdowns and curfews in order to deter the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Uddhav Thackeray, the chief minister of Maharashtra, said on Friday that a lockdown cannot be ruled out if the situation does not change. “I’m speaking with experts to see if there’s an option to a total lockdown and how to crack the virus chain. I accept that lockout is dangerous. Guidelines for tighter controls will be published in a day or two “He said.

On Friday, the state recorded 47,827 new COVID-19 cases, the largest daily total since the coronavirus pandemic started. Mumbai has exceeded the previous peak of 8,832 new infections.